tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Travel Med Infect Dis
. 2020 Oct 10;101901.
doi: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2020.101901. Online ahead of print.
Incidence of COVID-19 among returning Travelers in Quarantine Facilities: A Longitudinal Study and Lessons Learned
Jaffar A Al-Tawfiq[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Amar Sattar[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Husain Al-Khadra[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Saeed Al-Qahtani[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Mobarak Al-Mulhim[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Omar Al-Omoush[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Hatim O Kheir[SUP] 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Introduction: The emergence of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) had resulted in an unpresented global pandemic. In the initial events, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia implemented mandatory quarantine of returning travelers in order to contain COVID-19 cases.
Materials and methods: This is a longitudinal study of the arriving travelers to Quarantine facilities and the prevalence of positive SARS-CoV-2 as detected by RT-PCR.
Results: During the study period, there was a total of 1928 returning travelers with 1273 (66%) males. The age range was 28 days to 69 years. Of all the travelers, 23 (1.2%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Of the first swab, 14/1928 (0.7%) tested positive. The positivity rate was 0.63% and 0.92% among males and females, respectively (P=0.57). The second swab was positive in 9 (0.5%) of the other 1914 who were initially negative with a positivity rate of 0.39% and 0.62% among males and females, respectively (P=0.49). There was no statistical difference in the positivity rates between first and second swab (P=0.4). Of all travelers, 40 (n=26, 1.3%) were admitted from the quarantine facility to the hospital due to COVID-19 related positive results or development of symptoms such as fever, cough, and respiratory symptoms; and 14 (0.7%) were admitted due to non-COVID-19 related illness.
Conclusion: This study showed the efforts put for facility quarantine and that such activity yielded a lower incidence of positive cases. There was a need to have a backup healthcare facility to accommodate those developing a medical need for evaluation and admission for non-COVID-19 related illnesses.
. 2020 Oct 10;101901.
doi: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2020.101901. Online ahead of print.
Incidence of COVID-19 among returning Travelers in Quarantine Facilities: A Longitudinal Study and Lessons Learned
Jaffar A Al-Tawfiq[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Amar Sattar[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Husain Al-Khadra[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Saeed Al-Qahtani[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Mobarak Al-Mulhim[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Omar Al-Omoush[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Hatim O Kheir[SUP] 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 33049360
- DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2020.101901
Abstract
Introduction: The emergence of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) had resulted in an unpresented global pandemic. In the initial events, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia implemented mandatory quarantine of returning travelers in order to contain COVID-19 cases.
Materials and methods: This is a longitudinal study of the arriving travelers to Quarantine facilities and the prevalence of positive SARS-CoV-2 as detected by RT-PCR.
Results: During the study period, there was a total of 1928 returning travelers with 1273 (66%) males. The age range was 28 days to 69 years. Of all the travelers, 23 (1.2%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Of the first swab, 14/1928 (0.7%) tested positive. The positivity rate was 0.63% and 0.92% among males and females, respectively (P=0.57). The second swab was positive in 9 (0.5%) of the other 1914 who were initially negative with a positivity rate of 0.39% and 0.62% among males and females, respectively (P=0.49). There was no statistical difference in the positivity rates between first and second swab (P=0.4). Of all travelers, 40 (n=26, 1.3%) were admitted from the quarantine facility to the hospital due to COVID-19 related positive results or development of symptoms such as fever, cough, and respiratory symptoms; and 14 (0.7%) were admitted due to non-COVID-19 related illness.
Conclusion: This study showed the efforts put for facility quarantine and that such activity yielded a lower incidence of positive cases. There was a need to have a backup healthcare facility to accommodate those developing a medical need for evaluation and admission for non-COVID-19 related illnesses.